Yesterday was NUS bi, the IVP race for the 4 unis of NUS, NTU, SMU and SIM.
it was a super early morning start, waking at 5 and reporting at 6plus. my wave was supposed to start at 715. after the registration, the usual cam-whoring, complaining about the race organzers and an almost non-existent warm up, NUS team 1 consisting of Mok, Josh Li, Me, Nicolas, Lemin, Josh Lim and Dex were ready to go.
the swim was tough, though i could feel that i wasnt going as hard as i wanted to. maybe it was in anticipation of the super tough run later, or (more likely) the lack of a proper warm up, i didnt manage to hit the sub-11 timing that coach and i wanted to go for.
came out of the swim 2nd (behind NTU's sick sick roderick) at about 11:20something, and after a very fast transition (if i may say so myself heh) and went off. i took the lead just as we exited the MPSH building and started the run course of endless hills.
at the first hill i was already panting my ass off from the swim. gd ness. but i tried to remember how i went up that hill during thursday's transition training and pull myself up and over. once on the down hill i just took advantage of the free speed and turned left to go round arts.
i looked back at this point. no one. "where is mok?" scenarios ran through my mind, wondering what had happened to him. he was just a couple of seconds behind me in the swim, and by all earthly logic, he should have caught me long ago.
down the TH slope and turn towards biz i finally got a glimpse of mok. he was less than a 100m behind me, and by the time i hit the start of the PGP slope, he had caught and overtaken me. (took u long enough!) i slogged myself up that short but probably the steepest slope, then tried to get my rythmn back for the second part of the PGP slope. that looooonnnng stretch was just adding more pain to misery.
turn left again into KE7, and i knew the end was near. after the 1st (and hardest of the 3 slopes in this area), josh caught me. his footsteps were so loud. at this point it was soooooo damn tempting to just slow and stop. just walk. but the better and braver part of me screamed "NOOOOO!" and i forced myself onwards. i told myself to just aim to keep josh in sight.
pretty soon i hit the last downslope to go down the last slope to the finish. i was in so much pain at the end, where you feel your lungs were not big enough to take in the amount of oxygen your body demanded. i crossed the finish super happy that the run was over, and also as a peronal victory. total time: 34 mins flat.
team 1 managed to sweep the top 5 men's position, and with 7 of us from NUS in the top 10. it was another great result for us. this would guarantee us the first place for men's IVP team.
the girls also did great despite some last min setbacks to clinch 1st, 4th and 5th in their race, and managed to win the women's IVP team by a margin of 2 mins. (whew. scary.)
both our men's and women's team 2 also managed to get the 3rd places!
the individual 3rd medal today was the msot important medal for me today. not that i am placing myself above the team, but rather it was because today was such a personal victory.
having been blighted by shin splints since late last year, i have lost alot of confidence in my run. to prep for this, i have been doing my brick sessions on the NUS bi route. after an hour or so of hardwork on the trainer i dragged myself to hit those slopes time and again. on the run, it was the thought of not wanting to let myself and the team down that pushed me onwards. i imagined the joy of that we would all experience at the end, and told myself that if i just keep pushing it would be one step further to make this dream a reality. i was not gonna let all that training be wasted just becuase i didnt want to push anymore. and it really summed up something that i have always been telling myself. "if u want something bad enough, u will have to work hard enough to get it"
it has been a long journey with the team this year. the freshies are now considered "seasoned" and have taken over. great job by the prev exco in bringing us through. thanks goes to coach david for always pushing me in the pool and being a great guide out of it. all the sweat, lactate and pain we gone through has culminated in this one day and we certainly enjoyed it. yesterday we celebrated the results, but more importantly we celebrated the journey that we have all gone through together as part of a family (albeit a very sick family). looking forward to the next long and painful that the new exco we bring us on.
loves, hugs and kisses, XOXOXOXO
jon ma
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
aviva ironman 70.3 singapore 2010
i woke up this morning feeling cold. it took a really really hot water shower, some breakfast and warm water to warm me up. took a cab to chinese swimming club as i wanted to take a short walk to the race site. the cab driver said he didnt have a bank account so he couldnt take NETS, so i had to ask him to send me to a ATM machine to withdraw money for him. diao.
at the transition area, everything went smoothly and quickly, unlike last year where my inexperience made it a long and draggy process. tyres were pumped, helmet, racebelt, shades, shoes were prepped, and i was left with a ridiculous amount of time to socialise and queue for the porta-loo.
only had time for a short swim warm up, which i felt really good. the tidal stream wasnt that strong, and the low tide didnt really affect me much. my stroke felt good, and i carried that confidence to the start line.
the pros went off, followed by the age group women. then it was my wave which consisted of 18-24's, and a large group of men above 45. i was standing next to number 206 (i was 207) mark luckin. when the horn sounded, he sprinted into the sea and i chased to catch him.mark set the pace for the swim, with me swimming next to him and another man from the other age group swimming with us. that guy was fast, and soon dropped mark and i after the second turn. i tried my best to follow and stay in his draft. once we hit the shore and ran to start the second loop, i managed to catch him. along the way there were quite a few people shouting my name, though i didnt manage to catch who they were. this time the man and i swam side by side for most of the second loop, with our hands and shoulders hitting each other most of the way, it was really quite a "fight". on the final stretch back to shore we split up and were swimming our separate ways. i didnt see him, though i heard he came up a bit before me. but i managed to come first out of the swim for my age group in 32mins. mark came up about 50 seconds behind me.
T1 was a bit long due to the aero helmet, but once on the bike it felt really good and i just started pedaling quickly and was on my way. mark caught and passed me on benjamin sheares bridge and took the lead from there. i was determinded not to let the gap open up too much and gave chase. my feet at this point was numb from the pain killer i had taken before the start (for my shin splints) and it was quite a wierd feeling. after 2 loops, the gap between mark and i was still about the same. then JJ caught (finally) with me on the 3rd loop and pulled me for a short stretch, though i was dropped pretty quickly by him. the benjamin sheares bridge was such a horrow for me last year. this year it was much more different as my slowest up the bridge was only 20kph, and it felt much easier. all the hill trainings really paid off.
the stretch towards the U turn at big splash was always a thrill, with so many supporters and people cheering for the competitors. at the end of the third loop i caught up with mark luckin again, and we zoomed into transition together and ran to rack our bikes. the commentator himself seemed quite excited at our competitiveness.
my T2 was no match for my australian compatriot, and he zipped out of transition waaaay ahead of me. on the first 1k of the run, my left quad started to cramp up. after going up the bridge i had to stop and stretch. that was when ashley overtook me. (WAH LAU EH DAMN FAST CAN)
my lack of run training really showed on the 21km. having been blighted by shin splints since last year november, i havent really been able to run as much as i would have liked, and my longest run to date has been 9km 2 weeks before this. i struggled to find my rythmn and was just shuffling along. everyone was overtaking me left right centre. male, female, old, young. i felt pathetic, as compared to just last november when i managed to run under 40mins for a 10k. i caught up with JJ on my second loop (he was doing his first cause he was in pain all over the place and had to stretch) we ran together for the next couple of kilometers, until finally i got a bit more momentum and went ahead at the 12km point.
i was able to get back some pace at this point, though i still walked the aid stations. the singapore sun was in its full glory at this point, and i was being roasted. cup after cup of water was poured over my head, and i just tried to down as much electrolytes as i could to fight off the niggling cramps that were threatening to surface. i was running a few kilometers at a good pace, before having to slow for one km, then going back to that pace again. some parts i ran to the side on the grass the reduce the impact on my legs and the strain on them. the supporters at this point was amazing, they really helped everyone out there and made it a bit easier for all of us out there.
i was decked out in full macca attire, and saw him along the way. it was quite exciting, and he cheered me on along the way. too bad he left before i finished so i could not get a photo with him or something.
finally after damn long, i was just 2km from the finish. ben lau had been running behind me the whole time, though i kept pushing myself ahead before he caught me again. finally i cracked and he overtook me and never looked back. on the last km i got a bit of speed again, but by then it was too late and he was to finish before me by a bout a min.
approaching the finishing chute i wanted space all for myself, so i let 2 people (not from my age group) to sprint past me. i had the luxury for the whole chute to myself when i finished.
i thanked God, for answering my prayer for the weather, for protecting me on the bike, for the support i received from my friends, for being able to complete the run, and i was just very thankful that i was able to do what i could do.
my splits were as follow:
Swim: 32:01 (1st out)
T1: 1:34
Bike: 2:37:56
T2: 1:28
Run: 2:01:18 ( i know. SLOW)
Total: 5:14:17 (6th in age group)
afterwards, the clearwater slots were rolled down to norman and i cause everyone else in our age group from 1st to 8th didnt claim them. SHIOKS! and jocelyn will be coming with us as well! w00ts!
managed to achieve 2 out of 3 aims for today.
1) first out of swim CHECK
2) clearwater slot CHECK
3) sub 5 hours NEXT YEAR after i get my run back to where it used to be
Thanks also go out to the many supportes!
Just (amazing signboard) Elaine (learn how to use camera properly) Norman's mum and sister Agnes, David (thanks for the help), Dex (thanks thanks thanks for trusting and lending me your wheels), Fana (i'm waiting...), Qiurong, XuePing, SaiYann, QiuKun, Delphine, Mich, Ying Liang (thanks for the shots), Mok, Dinah (damn fun to see you two!) , serene, ling er, desmond, the SMURTS and the NTU guys as well, and of course, MACCA, for the inspiration. (hope i didnt forget anyone!)
Ok, time to sleep. tomorrow will be painful. pictures up soon!
at the transition area, everything went smoothly and quickly, unlike last year where my inexperience made it a long and draggy process. tyres were pumped, helmet, racebelt, shades, shoes were prepped, and i was left with a ridiculous amount of time to socialise and queue for the porta-loo.
only had time for a short swim warm up, which i felt really good. the tidal stream wasnt that strong, and the low tide didnt really affect me much. my stroke felt good, and i carried that confidence to the start line.
the pros went off, followed by the age group women. then it was my wave which consisted of 18-24's, and a large group of men above 45. i was standing next to number 206 (i was 207) mark luckin. when the horn sounded, he sprinted into the sea and i chased to catch him.mark set the pace for the swim, with me swimming next to him and another man from the other age group swimming with us. that guy was fast, and soon dropped mark and i after the second turn. i tried my best to follow and stay in his draft. once we hit the shore and ran to start the second loop, i managed to catch him. along the way there were quite a few people shouting my name, though i didnt manage to catch who they were. this time the man and i swam side by side for most of the second loop, with our hands and shoulders hitting each other most of the way, it was really quite a "fight". on the final stretch back to shore we split up and were swimming our separate ways. i didnt see him, though i heard he came up a bit before me. but i managed to come first out of the swim for my age group in 32mins. mark came up about 50 seconds behind me.
T1 was a bit long due to the aero helmet, but once on the bike it felt really good and i just started pedaling quickly and was on my way. mark caught and passed me on benjamin sheares bridge and took the lead from there. i was determinded not to let the gap open up too much and gave chase. my feet at this point was numb from the pain killer i had taken before the start (for my shin splints) and it was quite a wierd feeling. after 2 loops, the gap between mark and i was still about the same. then JJ caught (finally) with me on the 3rd loop and pulled me for a short stretch, though i was dropped pretty quickly by him. the benjamin sheares bridge was such a horrow for me last year. this year it was much more different as my slowest up the bridge was only 20kph, and it felt much easier. all the hill trainings really paid off.
the stretch towards the U turn at big splash was always a thrill, with so many supporters and people cheering for the competitors. at the end of the third loop i caught up with mark luckin again, and we zoomed into transition together and ran to rack our bikes. the commentator himself seemed quite excited at our competitiveness.
my T2 was no match for my australian compatriot, and he zipped out of transition waaaay ahead of me. on the first 1k of the run, my left quad started to cramp up. after going up the bridge i had to stop and stretch. that was when ashley overtook me. (WAH LAU EH DAMN FAST CAN)
my lack of run training really showed on the 21km. having been blighted by shin splints since last year november, i havent really been able to run as much as i would have liked, and my longest run to date has been 9km 2 weeks before this. i struggled to find my rythmn and was just shuffling along. everyone was overtaking me left right centre. male, female, old, young. i felt pathetic, as compared to just last november when i managed to run under 40mins for a 10k. i caught up with JJ on my second loop (he was doing his first cause he was in pain all over the place and had to stretch) we ran together for the next couple of kilometers, until finally i got a bit more momentum and went ahead at the 12km point.
i was able to get back some pace at this point, though i still walked the aid stations. the singapore sun was in its full glory at this point, and i was being roasted. cup after cup of water was poured over my head, and i just tried to down as much electrolytes as i could to fight off the niggling cramps that were threatening to surface. i was running a few kilometers at a good pace, before having to slow for one km, then going back to that pace again. some parts i ran to the side on the grass the reduce the impact on my legs and the strain on them. the supporters at this point was amazing, they really helped everyone out there and made it a bit easier for all of us out there.
i was decked out in full macca attire, and saw him along the way. it was quite exciting, and he cheered me on along the way. too bad he left before i finished so i could not get a photo with him or something.
finally after damn long, i was just 2km from the finish. ben lau had been running behind me the whole time, though i kept pushing myself ahead before he caught me again. finally i cracked and he overtook me and never looked back. on the last km i got a bit of speed again, but by then it was too late and he was to finish before me by a bout a min.
approaching the finishing chute i wanted space all for myself, so i let 2 people (not from my age group) to sprint past me. i had the luxury for the whole chute to myself when i finished.
i thanked God, for answering my prayer for the weather, for protecting me on the bike, for the support i received from my friends, for being able to complete the run, and i was just very thankful that i was able to do what i could do.
my splits were as follow:
Swim: 32:01 (1st out)
T1: 1:34
Bike: 2:37:56
T2: 1:28
Run: 2:01:18 ( i know. SLOW)
Total: 5:14:17 (6th in age group)
afterwards, the clearwater slots were rolled down to norman and i cause everyone else in our age group from 1st to 8th didnt claim them. SHIOKS! and jocelyn will be coming with us as well! w00ts!
managed to achieve 2 out of 3 aims for today.
1) first out of swim CHECK
2) clearwater slot CHECK
3) sub 5 hours NEXT YEAR after i get my run back to where it used to be
Thanks also go out to the many supportes!
Just (amazing signboard) Elaine (learn how to use camera properly) Norman's mum and sister Agnes, David (thanks for the help), Dex (thanks thanks thanks for trusting and lending me your wheels), Fana (i'm waiting...), Qiurong, XuePing, SaiYann, QiuKun, Delphine, Mich, Ying Liang (thanks for the shots), Mok, Dinah (damn fun to see you two!) , serene, ling er, desmond, the SMURTS and the NTU guys as well, and of course, MACCA, for the inspiration. (hope i didnt forget anyone!)
Ok, time to sleep. tomorrow will be painful. pictures up soon!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
A-minus 1
it all started in august
it was a race of little consequence, that i just wanted to do for fun, and see how things went. then i came back from the desaru long d tri in 4:55.
"wow, doing a sub-5 half ironman is well, doable... hm............."
about half a year later, i now get the chance to see whether this thought can become a reality at the aviva ironman triathlon 70.3 singapore. i started training in december after i decided to skip the singapore marathon and just focus on the season in march this year.
everything is in place. well, almost everything. the shin splints from last year is still there, and i have not been able to train my run much. instead of being able to be all rounded in all 3 disciplines, i now have to take a gamble by going hard on the first 2 legs and hang on for the last 21km.
and instead of having my own set of reynolds race wheels i had to borrow a pair due to financial restrictions. o well, thanks dex for the dura ace c50s!
tomorrow will see whether the dream that started from a thought 7 months ago will become a reality.
but whatever happens, i will give thanks to the Lord for the blessing He has given me, and i race as a form of worship by giving it my best to not waste the passion and ability He has given me.
Amen
it was a race of little consequence, that i just wanted to do for fun, and see how things went. then i came back from the desaru long d tri in 4:55.
"wow, doing a sub-5 half ironman is well, doable... hm............."
about half a year later, i now get the chance to see whether this thought can become a reality at the aviva ironman triathlon 70.3 singapore. i started training in december after i decided to skip the singapore marathon and just focus on the season in march this year.
everything is in place. well, almost everything. the shin splints from last year is still there, and i have not been able to train my run much. instead of being able to be all rounded in all 3 disciplines, i now have to take a gamble by going hard on the first 2 legs and hang on for the last 21km.
and instead of having my own set of reynolds race wheels i had to borrow a pair due to financial restrictions. o well, thanks dex for the dura ace c50s!
tomorrow will see whether the dream that started from a thought 7 months ago will become a reality.
but whatever happens, i will give thanks to the Lord for the blessing He has given me, and i race as a form of worship by giving it my best to not waste the passion and ability He has given me.
Amen
Monday, March 15, 2010
my act of worship
" When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything You gave me.' " - Erma Bombeck
Sunday, March 14, 2010
1st Big Race, and a Jellyfish Stole my Paycheck
It started just like any other race day. Conditions seemed good and I felt ready. After a short warm up jog with Mok and then a swimm, we headed to the start line and squeezed our way to the front.
When the horn sounded we charged into the water and started stroking away. The plan for Mok and I was to go easy at the start before going ahrd after the turn. We were pacing each other quite nicely on the first stretch, though i was sandwiched between Mok and this angmoh who i was jockeying positions with. This kinda distracted me a bit and before i knew it Mok was about 2 body lengths ahead of me.
I lengthened my stroke and pulled harder to catch up. I was making progress as I could tell I was getting closer.
Then it struck.
I felt a line go around my neck and my right shoulder. Then it was as if someone switched on the electricity and I felt a very painful jolt. I stopped and grabbed the lane rope and sat on it. One of the swimmers in the pack behind paused to ask whether I was ok. I told him that it was a jelly fish sting. I tried to swim again but it was way too painful to continue, and i knew my day was done.
I waved to the seaboat nearby that I needed help. They brought me onboard and we headed back to shore. At this point i was in extreme pain, with my right side twitching uncontrollably. Tha pain was insane I tell you.
Some of the officials on the shore were more shocked than I was. They just stood there and stared while I was spasming in pain, so i shouted at them on where was I suppose to go. Really, imagine being in so much pain but still having to manage the situation. I wass rushed to the medical where they started pouring vinegar on my stings. I started shaking, spasming, twitching all at the same time and i started to cry from the pain. I have never felt this bad before.
Some of the team who havent started their waves came over. I could sense that they were quite shocked. I must have looked quite a mess, but I was quite uncontrollable at this point. The MO's and medics there were pretty good, they were really caring and good at reassuring me. JJ came over to watch over me while the rest still had their races to get to.
All of a sudden I felt numbness across my chest and it ot quite difficult to breathe. The whole medical stuff jumped into action, sticking needles and patches all over me to watch my parameters. They stuck these tubes up my nose to deliver oxygen to help me with my breathing. I was having an allergic reation to the jellyfish venom. The whole of my upper body felt numb. I could only remember starting up at the celing while the staff tried to take my BP and vital stats and inject me with stuff.
After a while then the numbness subsided, and I could sit up once again. After a while more of observation they let me go, though with the advice that i should seek medical help if I have a reation again.
My whole body was a mess. My sense of balance were off and i stumbled everywhere. The medicine they gave me was pretty strong, and I was drowsy throughout, in addition to the pain around my neck and ears.
Thanks goes out to the team for taking care of me and being there for me when I really needed it. The presence of you guys made it that much better to go through the shit i was in. I had never hit so low before, being in the immense pain I was in. At that point, the race didnt really matter to me, but it was more of the pain that I had to get through. I was listening to the emcee reading out the names of our team memebrs as they crossed the finish line, and from what i could tell it was another good day in the office for our team.
Thanks also must be to the Naval Medical Staff who were quick to act whenever my condition worsened and really took good care of me.
Last and definitely not least, thank God for keeping me alive and safe. Things could have gotten worse along the way, but it didnt. He also gave me a network of good friends who stuck by me along the way.
Now the pain is much lesser as compared to as previously. Though the pain is still there, though milder, and im probably used to it already. Hope that i'll recover fully soon to continue training for aviva next week, which is admittedly the one race that i have been aiming for since last year.
PS: not much photos for sing bi this year. i was either away from the cameras or not in a mood to be camwhoring. saddd. and i lost the chance to make some winnings for this year's race. dammit.
When the horn sounded we charged into the water and started stroking away. The plan for Mok and I was to go easy at the start before going ahrd after the turn. We were pacing each other quite nicely on the first stretch, though i was sandwiched between Mok and this angmoh who i was jockeying positions with. This kinda distracted me a bit and before i knew it Mok was about 2 body lengths ahead of me.
I lengthened my stroke and pulled harder to catch up. I was making progress as I could tell I was getting closer.
Then it struck.
I felt a line go around my neck and my right shoulder. Then it was as if someone switched on the electricity and I felt a very painful jolt. I stopped and grabbed the lane rope and sat on it. One of the swimmers in the pack behind paused to ask whether I was ok. I told him that it was a jelly fish sting. I tried to swim again but it was way too painful to continue, and i knew my day was done.
I waved to the seaboat nearby that I needed help. They brought me onboard and we headed back to shore. At this point i was in extreme pain, with my right side twitching uncontrollably. Tha pain was insane I tell you.
Some of the officials on the shore were more shocked than I was. They just stood there and stared while I was spasming in pain, so i shouted at them on where was I suppose to go. Really, imagine being in so much pain but still having to manage the situation. I wass rushed to the medical where they started pouring vinegar on my stings. I started shaking, spasming, twitching all at the same time and i started to cry from the pain. I have never felt this bad before.
Some of the team who havent started their waves came over. I could sense that they were quite shocked. I must have looked quite a mess, but I was quite uncontrollable at this point. The MO's and medics there were pretty good, they were really caring and good at reassuring me. JJ came over to watch over me while the rest still had their races to get to.
All of a sudden I felt numbness across my chest and it ot quite difficult to breathe. The whole medical stuff jumped into action, sticking needles and patches all over me to watch my parameters. They stuck these tubes up my nose to deliver oxygen to help me with my breathing. I was having an allergic reation to the jellyfish venom. The whole of my upper body felt numb. I could only remember starting up at the celing while the staff tried to take my BP and vital stats and inject me with stuff.
After a while then the numbness subsided, and I could sit up once again. After a while more of observation they let me go, though with the advice that i should seek medical help if I have a reation again.
My whole body was a mess. My sense of balance were off and i stumbled everywhere. The medicine they gave me was pretty strong, and I was drowsy throughout, in addition to the pain around my neck and ears.
Thanks goes out to the team for taking care of me and being there for me when I really needed it. The presence of you guys made it that much better to go through the shit i was in. I had never hit so low before, being in the immense pain I was in. At that point, the race didnt really matter to me, but it was more of the pain that I had to get through. I was listening to the emcee reading out the names of our team memebrs as they crossed the finish line, and from what i could tell it was another good day in the office for our team.
Thanks also must be to the Naval Medical Staff who were quick to act whenever my condition worsened and really took good care of me.
Last and definitely not least, thank God for keeping me alive and safe. Things could have gotten worse along the way, but it didnt. He also gave me a network of good friends who stuck by me along the way.
Now the pain is much lesser as compared to as previously. Though the pain is still there, though milder, and im probably used to it already. Hope that i'll recover fully soon to continue training for aviva next week, which is admittedly the one race that i have been aiming for since last year.
PS: not much photos for sing bi this year. i was either away from the cameras or not in a mood to be camwhoring. saddd. and i lost the chance to make some winnings for this year's race. dammit.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
taper time!
finally, after months of training and prep, the season is fully upon us.
sing bi is this sat, then aviva 70.3 the following sunday, and nus bi the next sun to round off the month.
next month will be osim and then TTT.
time to taper and as the pros like to put it, "soak up the training". yay end of hard trainings!
sing bi is this sat, then aviva 70.3 the following sunday, and nus bi the next sun to round off the month.
next month will be osim and then TTT.
time to taper and as the pros like to put it, "soak up the training". yay end of hard trainings!
Friday, March 5, 2010
waikiki
this is waaay overdue.
waikiki organised by SMU on saturday. the first race of the season, first of 5 races over the next 7 weeks.
the race was a sprint D bi, 800m swim and 5k run. only ourselves, NTU and SIM were taking part since SMU could not as they were organising.
we sent in 2 teams, mine consisiting of myself, josh li, josh lim, lemin, zhiyun and patricia, and we were gonna race against the other 'team 1's' of the other unis.
after a bit of a warm up and race brief, we were started. the usual mess of a swim start was cut short as i sprinted the first stretch to the first buoy for us to turn. from then on it was clear for me all the way.
apparently in the middle of the usual swim start "fight" zhiyun got kicked and dislocated her shoulder. i only found out after the whole race that she popped her shoulder back in and restarted with the second wave.
i just kept going on in the swim, and it felt real good. i was first out from the swim.
my transition was a mess. my swim cap refused to come off and my top went on inside-out,frontside-back. heck it, i was gonna do the adjustments to it on the run.
having not done ANY running speedwork for the past couple of months, it was obious that my lead would not last long. about halfway through the run, josh caught up and overtook me while i just wanted to hang on and at the same time maintain my form.
i finished and thanked God for a run without any pain in my shins. our two teams won both first and second placings and the juniors got a good exposure and learnt a few good lessons.
all in all it was another good outing for the team. rewarding as well!
team 1! (QK taking patricia's place)
team!
waikiki organised by SMU on saturday. the first race of the season, first of 5 races over the next 7 weeks.
the race was a sprint D bi, 800m swim and 5k run. only ourselves, NTU and SIM were taking part since SMU could not as they were organising.
we sent in 2 teams, mine consisiting of myself, josh li, josh lim, lemin, zhiyun and patricia, and we were gonna race against the other 'team 1's' of the other unis.
after a bit of a warm up and race brief, we were started. the usual mess of a swim start was cut short as i sprinted the first stretch to the first buoy for us to turn. from then on it was clear for me all the way.
apparently in the middle of the usual swim start "fight" zhiyun got kicked and dislocated her shoulder. i only found out after the whole race that she popped her shoulder back in and restarted with the second wave.
i just kept going on in the swim, and it felt real good. i was first out from the swim.
my transition was a mess. my swim cap refused to come off and my top went on inside-out,frontside-back. heck it, i was gonna do the adjustments to it on the run.
having not done ANY running speedwork for the past couple of months, it was obious that my lead would not last long. about halfway through the run, josh caught up and overtook me while i just wanted to hang on and at the same time maintain my form.
i finished and thanked God for a run without any pain in my shins. our two teams won both first and second placings and the juniors got a good exposure and learnt a few good lessons.
all in all it was another good outing for the team. rewarding as well!
team 1! (QK taking patricia's place)
team!
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